amazing...

last shot of the day..., originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

the trip to cape breton was one of the most satisfying and one of the toughest of my trip so far. the trip took a total 15 hours, most of it in the car.

i'd discovered granola bars and tim horton's coffee allowed me to keep shooting. i actually broke down and ate mcdonald's on the way back that night. it was so late and raining... sigh. i know. i just pushed it too far. i just hated giving up daylight hours.

but back to cape breton. it looked like rain all day. i met lots of lovely folks on the road and saw a million churches. not as many as i saw on pei, but darn close.

the mountains... higher and higher.. french mountain! the roads curved and were like roller coasters, just the way i like them and the vistas, well, click on this photo and you'll understand.

i met a really cool couple on one of the pull-offs who happened to be from the missouri and florida. they warned me about some pretty serious winds coming--of course, i drove on. i met another sweet couple from british columbia... they were really curious about missouri. i don't know why! the only thing this day really lacked was more convos with the locals. but, the vistas made up for it!!!

i drove more than half the cabot trail and managed to hike one good healthy trail in the national park. i was hypnotized by the ocean and literally lost all sense of time until the light was gone and i couldn't take anymore decent pictures. then, all the alarms went off in my head and i headed back for home.. in halifax... 6 hours away.

the drive home was okay... i sort of got myself into a snit for waiting so long to leave and then there was a little rain and fog making the already tenuous drive more stressful. plus, i suddenly became ravenous and everything was closed. luckily, my excellent sense of direction and a hefty amount of good fortune got me back safely at a somewhat reasonable hour.

i loved it.

people of charlottetown...

people of charlottetown, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

on my way off the island, i stopped in charlottetown for a stroll. my intention was to be on the road by noon, but i got lost in a chat with my hostess at the b and b... we had a lot of laughs and a wonderful time. if you are looking for lovely little bnb for a very good price, Joan, runs the Coastal Homestead and i highly recommend it!

i stopped for my only souvenirs of this trip... a couple pei shirts and some scarves that stopped me in my tracks. i took a lot of shots of the people on the streets before i had lunch at cora's and treated myself to some mooey gooey at cow's creamery... OH yummy!

then, i set to driving. one thing i like about kilometers is that they sure click by a lot faster than miles!

i listened to CBC and french stations all afternoon. i don't remember enough french to really do more than get the gist of the conversation, after a long listen that is. but it sounded so beautiful, like music, i found it very comforting.

i missed pei before i was off the confederate bridge and i miss canada something fierce right now.

i knew it was important for me to go there, and now, i know why.

(click the photo for more pics!)

before i begin...

i've so much to write... scratched out notes to be sorted. i've a huge quantity of photos that i'm going through now.

but, i wanted to stop and say something: i traveled all the way to East Point, PEI to realize that all the knowledge that i thought i had... it's a farce. i barely know a thing about myself much less the people that i care the most about.

i slipped on the shoes someone left by the door... i shuffled around from corner to corner. i bumped into cliffs, fields and lighthouses. it's a complicated world full of complicated people, but if i stopped... for a moment... there was silence... and there was peace. my mind cleared, and i found the shoes, they nearly fit. upon giving them back, i was different for having worn them.

it's no longer about what is right or what isn't. more important is knowing there are people who love you, people you love. it's about holding out your hand and knowing that there is someone there who needs it or who can lift you up.

it's melancholy and homesick. it's bright futures and warm memories. it's heartbreak and hope.

life is only a pumping muscle in my chest without the people i love feeding the passion that keeps it beating.

last shot of the day...

last shot of the day... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

i've been taking notes, but unable to truly blog. here is a link to flickr... i've not gone through today's shots. i just got up a selection from yesterday. it's now three in the morning and if i'm going to get up and be on the road by nine, well... you know me!

i leave nova scotia tomorrow, but not forever. i've a sneaking suspicion the seeds are planted and soon, there will be roots.

welcome to atlanta...

lemme just say, i love to fly and i love the atlanta airport.

so, i got my tired rump up at 5am., my coworker kelley would be laughing at that cuz she knows that ONLY happens on special occasions or in case of fire.

there was ice on my windshield and super dense fog when i loaded the car at 6. i was a little nervous about that fog. but, things went well... i stood in line for a long time to check my bag... even though i was already "checked in". my encounter TSA went well. i don't know why i'm terrified of those people. they scare me as much as the library police. whatever you say, Bubba.

i never put my stuff down... got right onto the plane and bam! here i am. my seat mate was a sweet woman who is going on her first cruise. i enjoyed talking with her... she was fixated on smoking, having only quit a few weeks ago. she was maybe a little too jittery and chatty for even my taste, but i think we talked out the anxiety--even through the turbulence on the way in. maybe i need to create a business of plane therapy? it's kinda fun. :)

well... i've a two hour layover here in the land of peaches and falcons! i'd take a pic of myself and post it here, but i'll tell you, i'm packed so well and precariously, if i move the wrong thing, it'll be like the fall of the roman empire. messy.

cosmic slop...

Water, originally uploaded by Cosmic Slop.

sometimes you meet someone on line... maybe you never actually meet them face to face, but nonetheless... they make an impression... influence the way you see things.

Justin is working in Afghanistan and he sends notes home to a laundry list of us who are all concerned about his well-being. but, amid danger i cannot even fathom, he is rallying donations for a child care center.

he also takes incredible pictures, and i'm inspired by the beauty that he has captured.

he wrote a note yesterday to tell us he was okay... an explosion not far off. this morning, while i was getting ready for work, mentally whining about my woes, i heard the report on npr. it struck me in that moment, the connection and that i have no real understanding of the reality that Justin is working in or the people he works with every day.

i'm grateful that he is sharing his experience and his photos...

words...

"I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

sometimes, i find it difficult to live these words... when someone you love shuts you out and cuts you off... finding any peace is fleeting... finding contentment seems impossible.

sometimes, i find it difficult to know my own selfishness. but, knowing the suffering is easy. it is the greatest suffering to miss someones' presence in your life.

quick notes...

so... when the wedding was over and i'd had a chance to lick my wounds and celebrate my tiny successes... i turned to the trip.

still not completely planned. very not like me. but, as my BFF said... it's an adventure!

first night of my trip will be in true stephen king fashion. driving into the night all alone... pulling into the inn late in the evening... in Bangor. hahaha! i'm going to be living my own private "shining". :/

then three days in Halifax... i've no idea what i'll be doing on Nova Scotia, but i do know i'll be there for thanksgiving... that's going to be curious.

then on to PEI. i know that ann of green gables is the island claim to fame, but what i'm most interested in are the cliffs. since i first laid eyes on a picture of them....that's what i've wanted to see. i'm hoping to stay somewhere called high bank... on murray river for a couple nights. if they have room... i'm calling the b&b tomorrow.

then i'm going to head for the coast of maine.... stay tuned for more details and pics of weddings.

de and jdead got mawwied...

this is deanna and this is john's first look at his bride.

fairy tales could learn a thing or two from this couple. with readings from the princess bride, the velveteen rabbit and music from E.T.--this wedding was 100% de and jdeadly.

the bride was smooth as silk... she said she was nervous. really? the groom was a little nervous, but a beaming light of joy. they radiated pure love and delight touching every soul in attendance.

as for me, in all sincerity, i've never been so nervous in my life. being the first shooter at a wedding for people you adore and want to do your best work for... :) however, i am honored that they asked me and i hope to give them images that they will enjoy for many years.

these pics are from the first batch of downloads and barely touched... i still have A LOT to download!

mawwaige is what brought us together yesterday...

turning a corner...

damn. when it comes to knowing how to handle my camera, i'm still a big time amateur.

however, something has changed.

i had this friend and he was utterly steeped in what he did for a living. i mean this guy was more than an eat, drink, sleep type. he loved it and lived it to distraction. you'd have thought that as a girlfriend, i'd have been freaking out about how much time he dedicated to his beloved computer.

nope. not me. i admired it. i encouraged it. i was crazy jealous. i wanted to feel that passion and not on coat tails.

i got home tonight from the rehearsal and the first thing i did was download my images. there was a lot that i was unhappy with and i had more information about how i'm shooting saturday. so, i promptly went on the net researching what sort of lens i really need. i hunted for tips and suggestions. a couple hours slipped away...

i still haven't taken off my jacket.

i'm green. i don't know nearly as much as i wish i did--but i'm no longer wishing i'd a passion like my computer geek ex. i've found my passion.

i've found my passion.

it's not for someone else, about someone else, because of or reliant on someone else. it's mine.

and it feels spectacular.